Beef Barley Soup

I made this for dinner the other night and my husband requested I put it into the family favorites rotation. He claims not to like soup.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lb stew meat
• 2 Tbsp. oil
• 8 cups water
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 cup celery, chopped
• 2 cup potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1/2 cup barley
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 Tbsp. beef bouillon granules
• 1 1/2 tsp. basil
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 2 cup frozen mixed vegetables*
• 30 oz canned petite diced tomatoes

Directions:

Brown meat in hot oil in dutch oven in two batches, drain fat. Add water, onion, celery, potatoes, barley, garlic, bouillon, basil, bay leaves, and pepper.

Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer covered for 1 hour.

Stir in frozen veggies and tomatoes. Return to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

Serve alone or with a nice crusty bread.

*I like thick soups so I added extra veggies

Source: I started with the Better Homes and Gardens recipe and tweaked it quite a bit.

By Stephanie from Hillsboro, OR